Servant Smith continues to deliver

And it was Eddie Howe, now in his second spell as Bournemouth boss, who signed Smith for a second time with the club now in the second tier.

The form and fitness of Simon Francis meant Smith was initially a back-up, with 23 of his 29 appearances in the Championship-winning 2014-15 campaign coming from the bench.

Bournemouth began their Premier League life with the same back four they had fielded in League One three years earlier, but lost captain Tommy Elphick to injury early in the season. With Francis taking the armband and moving to centre-back, Smith had an opening at right-back, never looked back and is now, by a distance, their leading Premier League appearance-maker.

Smith has had plenty of competition for his place over the years, with Jack Stacey and Ryan Fredericks signed but later discarded. Ethan Laird was signed on loan, but barely got a look-in. Max Aarons and Julian Araujo remain on the books but spent 2025-26 on loan across the Old Firm divide in Glasgow.

While Alex Jimenez had looked to be the man to finally replace Smith long-term, he remains dropped from the squad pending an investigation into social media posts, a situation which unexpectedly opened the door for Smith to return to the starting XI and put in a terrific shift at Craven Cottage.

Even though their dream of European qualification is tantalisingly close, Smith has been at Bournemouth long enough not to celebrate until it is a certainty. But as a loyal servant for over a decade, he should celebrate it all the more.